Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Flivver King, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Capitalism and Dehumanization
American Idealism and Disillusionment
Misinformation, Media Bias, and Ignorance
Individualism vs. Unionization
Technology and Progress
Summary
Analysis
Tom Jr. and Dell get in their car to return home, and friends follow them in another car. Discovering that they have a flat tire, Tom and Dell stop and quickly change the tire, growing a little anxious. At the party, Ford and the other guests go to the ballroom, where three fiddlers begin to play. The guests begin to dance old American styles, and Ford is warmed by the charming scene of gallant men and ladies in silk.
The scenes at the party continue to emphasize how Ford has become this backward-looking tyrant. It reinforces the irony of what Ford has done: even though he wanted his technology to change the world, he is frustrated with its cultural progress and wishes to go backwards.
Themes
